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It’s not my first time posting about human trafficking. And it definitely won’t be the last. Human trafficking is the modern day Holocaust. The modern day form of slavery. The us who are reading this here would most likely already realise that it’s horrific- though perhaps not horrific enough to make us realise that we take everything we have at arms reach for granted. We might even have slight thoughts that run along the lines of “well some people choose to be this way” without considering the reality of how they are trapped to choose to live like so.

Just the other day, a friend and I went to view the film, “Trade of Innocents”, a thriller independent film aimed to raise awareness on the issue of human trafficking. I won’t go into too much detail because it is not my primary focus of the day, but it is definitely worth checking out. There is however a line that caught the majority of the viewer’s attention. That is “Changing the fear equation.” It went something along the lines of this: The people who should fear is not the victims, but the pimps and the sellers- these criminals. They’re the ones who should fear because people are watching. The only thing that is not stopping them is because there is fear in the victims, and there is fear in the passerby-s.

If you haven’t heard of what human trafficking is, human trafficking is the fastest growing multi billion dollar criminal act on the face of this planet. It umbrellas an entire network of criminal acts based upon the demand for money and sex and other sexual pleasures. Pornography and a string of other things that have these sexual connotations even non-legit dvds come from this network. It may shock to you and maybe some of your friends that perhaps even you have somewhat contributed to growth to this criminal act.

The following explanation of human trafficking is extracted from the Trade of Innocents: 10 Things You Should Know Pamphlet:

Current U.S. Anti-Human Trafficking Law, the Trafficking Victims Protection Act (“TVPA”) defines “Severe forms of trafficking in persons”involves (A) sex trafficking in which a commercial sex act is induced by force, fraud, or coercion, or in which the person induced to per- form such act has not attained 18 years of age; or (B) the recruitment, harboring, transportation, provision, or obtaining of a person for labor or services, through the use of force, fraud, or coer- cion for the purpose of subjection to involuntary servitude, peonage, debt bondage, or slavery. See Trafficking Victims Protection Act, 22 U.S.C. 7102(8)

What’s so scary about it is that it is not only women as victims, a percentage of men and a huge percentage of children also make up this equation. Here are some astonishing facts:

2 Children are sold into sex slavery every minute.

Average age of entry into this industry is around 11-14 years.

In the next 48 hours, 1 in 3 children will be lured into being in the sex industry

For more info you can view my previous blog here: https://thephotojaneic-diary.com/2013/03/09/human-traffickingsex-slavery-whats-with-that-girl/

In this blogpost I would also like to give a shoutout to the A21 campaign. They are an organisation that provides shelters and much work including prevention and providing presecutors in order to rescue girls from the pimps and their hidden locations. To them as well as every other organisation that is in this field, I give them my full support for their hard work. The harsh reality is that 99% of victims are not rescued. Regardless, that does not mean we should give up on increasing the 1% that are rescued and increasing that. The fear equation needs to be changed. “No-one can do everything, But everyone can do something.” I’m not encouraging hate on pimps and criminals because these people are also in need of a change in heart. Let’s face it, no-one is perfect and sometimes even for us we do some ridiculous things that hurt other people. No-one is better than anyone but we can all make the world a better place to live in if we truly started caring for one another.

No matter who you are, or what you are capable of, what little thing you can give up in your time can start a revolution. Whether you are a Christian or not these are things you CAN do:

Pray for victims- for strength, salvation, for protection and freedom and justice, for hope and healing.

Pray for Traffickers- for conviction, repentance, salvation, for networks to dismantle, for oppressors to be arrested and prosecuted.

Pray for Governments- for corruption to cease, or implementation of just legislation, for discernment in forming allies.

Write letters and write for victims rights.

Get social

Donate (if you can afford to)

Volunteer to help

Send gifts and encouragement

Educate yourself in the matter

Make videos or blog

Share with your friends the issue

Don’t take your life for granted because you have so much freedom. Make the most of what you have and give to others. There is nothing better than the gift of giving without expecting anything in return. ❤

You know it always amazes me how the red light districts are so popular. Everything to do with sex is popular. It’s become pretty much the overarching or is pretty much the obviously hinted thing imbedded into our daily conversations- our jokes, music, art, bgrs (boy-girl relationships), motivations etc. I’m not aiming to fare war with gender related things but what I do feel very deeply for is the thing about human trafficking. I don’t claim to be an expert and I have no right to be a voice or anything. I’m sharing with you what I find simply shocking, gross and pretty unhappy about. The photograph above is a produced image of photographs that I did for part of my university degree in which was itched out from this issue.

What is Human Trafficking?

Human trafficking involves both males and females as victims. Predominantly women and children. It’s pretty much slavery in its worst form possible known to mankind. It is, a human inflicted crime against humanity- and involves fishy recruitment, fraud, debt-taking, kidnapping, transporting people into commercial sex or sex slavery.

“Slavery is still alive and well in our contemporary society.”

– Exodus Cry

What typically happens is that once the women and children are sold into, or somehow get themselves wound up in these situations, they’re forced to stay at these havens/ houses where they get mentally and physically broken beyond repair. The victims would be locked up, get given heavy doses of drugs to the point where they could be just barely sane. They would then be given away to the pimps at the house, “and made to perform humiliating sexual acts on up to 40 strangers every night.” (Nefarious Synopsis) This would be repeated for a while until they give up hope in trying to escape. These broken people would then be ready to go on the market to rake in the money for their pimps… and higher ups.

Many of these people you see on the streets at night smiling at you in skimpy clothing and cheap makeup are the majority of prostitutes that we know of. Would you please consider looking at them with a different eye now? It’s not that they have a choice. Even if they had a choice, there’s nothing for them to hold on to anymore. So please please, consider again if you wish to buy sex. Don’t let your down there of little chemical reactions govern over what’s right or wrong. We all know better than this. Consider again if you’re going to think a headful of scornful thoughts about those who are smiling on the outside and crying on the inside.

What runs through your head eventually reveals in what you do and how you act. How you act starts a chain reaction in other people. Change in the world starts from changing how you think.

Below are some statistics that I found from http://nefariousdocumentary.com. The group Exodus Cry, has created a very moving documentary film about human trafficking. The reality of it all is too much for writing in blogs, tears in tissues, pain for the heart. They interview real people from real experiences- both victims and people who were ex-pimps. I do highly recommend giving it a thorough look into for a more enriched understanding.

“❖ On June 1, 2012, the International Labor Organization released its 2nd global estimate of forced labor (slavery) and trafficking in persons. The estimate is 20.9 million victims. The 2012 United States Trafficking in Persons Report used this estimate as the new global estimate of trafficking in persons.

❖ A conservative estimate of the number of victims of sexual slavery/sex trafficking globally is 4,500,000 (International Labor Organization, 2012)

❖ Approximately 600,000 to 800,000 human trafficking victims are trafficked across international borders worldwide every year. (U.S. State Department, Trafficking in Persons Report, 2011)

❖ After drug trafficking, trafficking in humans ties with the illegal arms industry as the second largest criminal industry in the world today. It is the fastest growing criminal industry. (U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2011)

❖ Most sex trafficking is regional or national and is perpetrated by traffickers who are the same nationality as their victims. (United Nations, Global Report on Trafficking in Persons, 2009)

❖ As many as 2 million children are subjected to prostitution in the global commercial sex trade. (U.S. State Department, Trafficking in Persons Report, 2011)

❖ At least 15,000 people are trafficking into the United States annually. (U.S. State Department, Trafficking in Persons Report, 2010)

❖ Estimates suggest as many as 300,000 children annually are at risk of commercial sexual exploitation. (Richard Estes and Neil Weiner for University of Pennsylvania, 2001)

❖ The average age of entry into prostitution in the United States is 13- to 14-years-old. (Sara Ann Friedman for ECPAT-USA, “Who Is There to Help Us?,” 2005)

This is the harsh reality. This is what lie’s within today’s society. This is what a lot of people are pouring their wallets into. This is ripping lives. This is ripping humanity to the core. Identities stripped, unwanted submission, forced sex, broken families, black mailed for life… an endless nightmare that will exist forever in the minds of the victims.

So I extend my question to you. What will you do?

Will you start changing the way you think? Will you start changing what you feed your mind with? Please remember that what you fill your mind with is what will govern your thoughts. Feed your mind with things that let you appreciate people and you will know how to appreciate. Feed your mind with sex. Then all you will think about is sex.

Thank you for reading up until this point. Thank you.

May you have a good day and cherish the luxury and time you have right now that you were able to read this entry without being forced to. Cherish those around you who have made you grow so well. Cherish the moments of your past and the present that you were able to do whatever you’ve wished to. Be thankful for everything has been for a good purpose for you and for what it has made you to be today.